Abstract : We study the control and stabilization of the Benjamin-Ono equation in L2(T), the lowest regularity where the initial value problem is well-posed. This problem was already initiated in Linares and Rosier (Trans Am Math Soc 367:4595–4626, 2015) where a stronger stabilization term was used (that makes the equation of parabolic type in the control zone). Here we employ a more natural stabilization term related to the L2–norm. Moreover, by proving a theorem of controllability in L2, we manage to prove the global controllability in large time. Our analysis relies strongly on the bilinear estimates proved in Molinet and Pilod (Anal PDE 5:365–395, 2012) and some new extension of these estimates established here.